May 30, 2023

It's not that an old man tripped and fell. It's that he was trying so hard to look young, wearing super-tight jeans...

... that he couldn't bend his knees at all, and it took 2 men to hoist him back up: Sorry to use this to embed the clip, which I saw the other day. I think the effort at humor — "Bruce Biden" — distracts at what's funny here, the splinting effect of tight jeans on the legs of a man whose continued wearing of tight jeans is poignant or ridiculous depending on whether you've ever liked Springsteen.

As for tripping and falling, it's part of life, and I would advise you to stop laughing at the trippers and watch where you're going. 

41 comments:

gilbar said...

just how narcissistic do you have to be, to play dress up when you're 85 years old?

Jake said...

He should’ve worn shorts. Or maybe accidents happen.

mikee said...

Ask not for whom the jeans squeeze, they squeeze for you.

jaydub said...

Those jeans are not that tight. He's just too old to pop up from the floor. I would sympathize with him if he weren't a such a dick.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

who would pay to see that? not me.

David Blaska said...

Spinal Tap parodied this decades ago. Two roadies had to pull the guitarist back to his feet while the guy kept playing!

Iman said...

Tweeter and the Monkeyman.

Shoeless Joe said...

Springsteen is 74 years old, and has been playing damn near three hour concerts every other night since March. And they're full bore rock 'n roll shows with nary a ballad to be heard -- no intermissions, no real encores, just blast your ears and scream your lungs out for as long as you can take it. So he tripped one night going up a step, so what? I'm a decade younger and do that three times a week. It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.

Ya, he's an outspoken billionaire lefty weasel, especially when a Republican is in the White House. But unlike most OBLWs he's earned every nickel of his fortune with a lot of talent and a lot of sweat. You can despise Springsteen's politics but respect the old man's commitment to his craft. Even when he trips and falls.

Captain BillieBob said...

You need a tag for old men in ridiculous tight jeans. I'm slightly older then Bruce and I stopped wearing jeans years ago. Ya can't reclaim your youth old sod. Time to move on.

Narayanan said...

At least the splinting effect helped avert broken bones!!

Captain BillieBob said...

The only old men who should be wearing jeans are construction workers and farmers.
Stop pretending you're still a kid.
And I never liked Springsteen.

RigelDog said...

I have never ever laughed at someone tripping.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

I love Althouse commenters some days. References to Spinal Tap and Tom Petty (Iman at 8:08) already on a post I can’t resist because IMO Bruce turned into a parody of himself years ago about when he and Little Steven became super vocal about hating conservatives like me. Hate does that to people. Tom Petty (RIP) was never a hater which is why everyone still likes The Heartbreakers. Springsteen is an angry ridiculous old man.

lonejustice said...

When you get older, tripping and falling can be serious. Last time it happened to me I had to have rotator cuff surgery because the tear were so bad. I was breaking the fall with my arm when it happened.

Gulistan said...

Springsteen never watched Seinfeld, I guess:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQuuvtOuVLE

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

...and you can't sit down right... cuz your pants are too tight... blah blah blah.. a millionaire..

Wilbur said...

I'm not a fan of the vein-popping, excruciating style of music and singing he puts out. Other people are.

He's 73 years-old and still screeching about Wendy and him getting out while they're young, riding their suicide machines. As my friend says about similar ridiculousness "He needs to go somewhere and sit down".

The fact that he's a hate-filled Leftist jerk is coincidental.

Iman said...

And the gimp fell down
All the way to Hell
Saw him at the Sports Arena (L.A. ‘81)
Left my ears ringing like bells

Eva Marie said...

It’s all fine. Wear the tight jeans. Accept help if/when you trip and fall. Enjoy life the way you want to live it.

Jaq said...

He's just old, happens to everybody. Maybe he felt like he had some kind of special deal with God.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Jeans are my uniform. Always have been. Levi’s still make normal jeans for men with calf muscles. Old men look ridiculous in skinny jeans even with girly calfs like Bruce’s. I dress in a fine wool and/or silk suit when appropriate with socks and straight legs with a slight break on my beautiful loafers (arthritis makes tying shoes more trouble than it’s worth), a classic look that will still be socially acceptable when I’m laid to rest. In short I have the same uniform since junior high and it is highly versatile and required few exceptions. Corporate appearances required khakis or suits but I was lucky enough to work outside the HQ for almost every corporation that hired me including Mattel, Pepsi, Dominos, Snap-on, ITW and Lockheed. And I wear shorts at home unless wading into the tall weeds on the hill.

Mason G said...

I wore Levis to work for thirty years. Due to the nature of the job, practically everybody wore them or Wranglers. Retired now, I still wear Levis- the shrink-to-fit kind, not skinny jeans- since they're comfortable and I can order a pair online knowing they'll fit right.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Stop it Imam! I’ll have SXM stuck on channel 31 all day now. (TBH it’s stuck there most the time.)

cassandra lite said...

You can have liked Bruce in the past and still think it's ridiculous to see him in those painted-on pants. He's become the male Madonna, who self-parodically refuses to accept that time marches on.

Mark said...

You can despise Springsteen's politics but respect the old man's commitment to his craft

The problem is that SPRINGSTEEN doesn't respect the old man's commitment to his craft.

The craft is music. But Springsteen is NOT committed to that. He's committed to telling people what his politics are. And those politics are that he actually hates half his audience.

And anyone who has bought his albums has paid for the right and ability to tell him to shut the hell up and to mock him whenever they damn well please.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Know what Sirius channel I have NEVER tuned to? E-Street Radio. Of course. (Seeing him live twice is enough and I can always put my Born to Run LP on if I need a dose.)

Anthony said...

Was never a fan. His music always bored me, just not very interesting at all, despite the vigor he put into his shows (which I can respect).

I'm sure it's a bit difficult to stand back up again with a guitar as well.

PM said...

Wore jeans my entire career.
As for Bruce, recently saw him play solo piano and sing Thunder Road.
Never fails to get me.

Tom T. said...

I think having the guys pick him up was mostly just mugging for the crowd.

Old and slow said...

Now I've got Born To Run in my head. Thanks a bunch for that, I preferred the incessant ringing of tinnitus...

Oso Negro said...

I've hated the sonofabitch since 1975

Dagwood said...

Not nearly so much damage done as I suffered recently when I lost my balance and fell, and I'm younger. And fyi, it was on a HIKING trail, dammit, not a walking trail.

Andrew said...

"Now I've got Born To Run in my head."

That's ironic.

Andrew said...

Born to Hobble with a Walker.

M Jordan said...

Too bad Chris Christie was there to provide a blubber cushion. If I’m gonna fall, I’m gonna find me a Chris Christie to fall on. But I’m taking a periscope with me.

paminwi said...

I dislike Springsteen.
So yes, I laughed and don’t feel bad about it at all.

Saint Croix said...

the funny thing is how Springsteen morphed into Woody Allen

Saint Croix said...

You remember back in the 60's when the rockers would say "hope I die before I get old"?

Some reporter asked Mick Jagger how many years he thought he would play music...

And he compared himself to those old musicians who played the blues into their 70's

and said he wanted to do that too

Michael said...

He still thinks skinny jeans are in. LOL

guitar joe said...

Rock n roll seems to require staying young in a way that other forms of music didn't. Sinatra, Bennett, Johnny Cash, Lightnin' Hopkins, BB King, and may others could age gracefully, let alone jazz guys. I cringe a little when I see hair coloring and plastic surgery, plus the physical demands of playing a rock n roll show in old age. Tom Petty's addition to pain killers grew out of his desire to remain a dynamic stage presence. Prince too. How did James Brown continue to move well onstage? Genetics doesn't treat us all the same.

As for rock n roll and politics, I think Ted Nugent's politics are pretty stupid. I also think he hasn't made a decent record since the Amboy Dukes. But, boy, do I like the Amboy Dukes. And if he still made music that good, I'd still like him.

Jim at said...

Before watching, I was hoping for something along the lines of Randy rolling back and forth whining, "I can't get up. I can't get up. I can't get uuup!' in A Christmas Story.

I was not disappointed.